The Rock Chalkboard

Kansas' Scott Fuchs details approach as offensive line coach
Fuchs' passion for the position will certainly be needed. Last season, the Jayhawks' offensive line struggled under Les Miles and his staff, giving up an FBS-worst 5.22 sacks per game. The Kansas offense struggled as a whole, ranking last in the Big 12 in scoring offense and total offense.

Kansas football target Kaleb Purdy set to announce commitment
Kaleb Purdy, who is the No. 45-ranked safety and No. 15-ranked Missouri player per the Top247, announced he will be committing to a college on Friday. Purdy, whose Top247 grade is 87, has previously reported offers from KU, K-State and Missouri, as well as Iowa State and Michigan.

College football realignment: AAC reportedly could expand to 16 teams by pursuing Big 12 schools
“Well, the first step is for 11 of those 14 SEC presidents and chancellors to vote and formally invite them into the SEC,” Dinich said Tuesday afternoon on SportsCenter. “A source with knowledge of the process cautioned me that just because the presidents and chancellors are meeting on Thursday does not guarantee that they will take a vote, though it’s certainly possible. Now, there can also be legal maneuvering for Texas and Oklahoma to get out earlier than 2025. They could also simply pay the fine. We’re talking about 75 to 80 million dollars per school to leave before then. There’s also a sense that there’s a hope that the Big 12 dissolves and that grant of rights agreement becomes a moot point.

Marcus Garrett's top-5 games in a KU basketball uniform
One of KU coach Bill Self's all-time favorites, Garrett averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists as a senior. He posted career-best efficiency marks, hitting on 45.9 percent of his shots, 34.8 percent of his 3s and 80.8 percent of his free throws. Garrett also earned Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors for the third-straight season.

College football realignment: Latest reports on Kansas' Big Ten interest
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman reported on Tuesday that the Big Ten "is so much more interested in AAU schools than [the] Pac-12 is." That, of course, would apply to both Kansas and Iowa State in the Big 12, two schools Bohls said "made a run at [the] Big Ten," citing a Big 12 source. (ESPN also has reported that the Big Ten would only be interested in adding AAU schools, again, a designation KU falls under.)

Each Big 12 team's top-ranked recruits of all time
Kansas has the worst top 10 out of the Big 12 schools for multiple reasons. First, the Jayhawks are the only Big 12 school that has a three-star prospect as part of its most highly ranked prospects, showing that Kansas hasn’t landed as many blue chip recruits over the recruiting database era as any other Big 12 team, Second, of that group, few had an actual impact; Williams is the lone player to play at an All-Big 12 level so far (with Parker still playing), and players like Wrench and Martin never actually played for the Jayhawks, Kansas’ 2004 class, which laid the foundation for the Orange Bowl team, was excellent, but was more a case of finding diamonds in the rough—none of the players in that class ranked as a four-star prospect or higher.

Bits o Chalk

College football realignment: AAC reportedly could expand to 16 teams by pursuing Big 12 schools
“Well, the first step is for 11 of those 14 SEC presidents and chancellors to vote and formally invite them into the SEC,” Dinich said Tuesday afternoon on SportsCenter. “A source with knowledge of the process cautioned me that just because the presidents and chancellors are meeting on Thursday does not guarantee that they will take a vote, though it’s certainly possible. Now, there can also be legal maneuvering for Texas and Oklahoma to get out earlier than 2025. They could also simply pay the fine. We’re talking about 75 to 80 million dollars per school to leave before then. There’s also a sense that there’s a hope that the Big 12 dissolves and that grant of rights agreement becomes a moot point.

Simone Biles withdraws from individual all-around gymnastics competition at Tokyo Olympics to focus on mental well-being
TOKYO -- Gymnastics superstar and defending Olympic champion Simone Biles has withdrawn from Thursday's individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Games to focus on her mental well-being.

Tokyo registers record 3,177 new coronavirus cases
TOKYO -- Olympic host city Tokyo registered a record 3,177 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, authorities announced, as rising infections put pressure on hospitals.

U.S. men's basketball team bounces back from Olympic-opening loss, defeats Iran 120-66
The Americans crushed Iran 120-66 Wednesday afternoon for their first win of the Olympics. A victory on Saturday against the Czech Republic would give them a berth into the medal round next week, though this huge margin of victory gives the U.S. a chance to still advance even if it suffers another loss to the Czechs.

Swimmer Katie Ledecky wins Olympic gold in women's 1,500-meter freestyle after placing 5th in 200 free
TOKYO -- When Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky finally saw that familiar number next to her name, the emotions flooded to the surface at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera 'beyond frustrated' by low vaccination rate of his players
RICHMOND, Va. -- Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera said he's "beyond frustrated" with his players' lower vaccination rate and worries about the potential impact it will have on their team.

Eraser Dust

Biden Is Considering A Vaccine Or Testing Mandate For Federal Workers : NPR
One option under consideration: verifying that federal employees are vaccinated for COVID-19 using an "attestation of vaccination," a source familiar with the deliberations tells NPR's Tamara Keith.

Why is water sprayed on Olympic pools? Explaining safety measure for diving events | Sporting News
Why? Because it's a surface agitator; it provides a visual cue for divers that helps them visualize where the pool is in relation to their dive. Essentially, it helps them judge when to enter their rotation as they dive into the water.

The Pandemic Hurt These Students the Most - The New York Times
In math and reading, students are behind where they would be after a normal year, with the most vulnerable students showing the steepest drops, according to two new reports from the consulting firm McKinsey & Company and the NWEA, a nonprofit organization that provides academic assessments.

One in half a million: Girl born in Israel with twin inside her stomach | The Times of Israel
Checks and ultrasounds in the late stages of the pregnancy had already identified that the girl’s stomach was enlarged, and following her natural birth doctors carefully examined her and confirmed that there was something inside the newborn.

Bob Odenkirk hospitalized after collapsing on 'Better Call Saul' set - CNN
(CNN)Bob Odenkirk, star of hit TV shows "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on set on Tuesday, the TMZ entertainment website reported.

Zach Braff’s Secret to Filming Those ‘Ted Lasso’ Soccer Scenes | Vanity Fair
The average viewer may not have known Zach Braff was connected to the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso until his name came up on Emmy nominations morning. Braff, who worked with Lasso creator Bill Lawrence on Scrubs, earned an Emmy nod for directing “Biscuits,” the second episode of the first season, and says he’s been “smiling ear to ear” ever since.

Jerry Seinfeld Names The 1 Olympic Medal He'd Never Want In Old Bit Going Viral | HuffPost
“You win the bronze, you think, ‘At least I got something,’” he continues. “But if you win that silver, that’s like, ‘Congratulations, you almost won.’ Of all the losers, you came in first of that group. You’re the No. 1 loser. No one lost ahead of you.”